| Brand: | Samsung | ||
| Average Rating |
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Once you experience the amazing picture quality that high definition offers, it’ll be almost impossible for you to watch normal TV. The SAMSUNG LN37A550 is the perfect way to upgrade your home entertainment. With full 1080p resolution, images are sharper and more realistic. And a 15,000:1 contrast ratio delivers stunning contrast in dark or bright scenes. Full HD (1080p) contains 1.5 times more scanning lines than conventional HD TVs. That means more pixels, more details and a better picture. A resolution that is approximately twice as much as conventional HD TVs creates the most perfect picture imaginable. Contrast and brightness levels achieve new heights in this LCD TV. Watch movies and shows come to life with enhanced details in very dark or bright scenes. Enjoy a more realistic, sharper picture quality that’s sure to catch your eye with 15,000:1 contrast ratio. One of the most important features for an LCD panel is the pixel response time. Response time refers to the amount of time it takes a pixel to refresh itself-to go from being active to being inactive, (ready to be re-activated). The lower the milliseconds, the faster the response time. A very fast 5ms response time virtually eliminates any blurring and gives you smooth-motion action scenes. The newest feature is the Wiselink USB Connection that easily hooks up your MP3 player or digital camera to your TV with the USB 2.0 connection. A simple user interface lets you scroll through and view play lists and pictures. You can zoom, rotate or play photo slide shows and even add music. With the SAMSUNG LN37A550 HDTV you really get the total package. 15,000 – 1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio 5ms Response Time 16 – 9 Aspect Ratio SRS TruSurround XT 10 W + 10 W Audio System Input Ports – 3 x HDMI (1 side, 2 rear), 2 x Component, 2 x A/V (1 side, 1 rear), 1x 15-pin VGA PC, 1 x S-Video (side), Wiselink (USB 2.0), RF antenna inputs, Headphone jack (side) A more info
Popularity: 2% [?]
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Fantastic for the $$
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I received this item as an early Christmas gift in Nov ’08, and am extremely happy with it. The picture quality is excellent, buch better than my previous HD TV from TSHBA that was not 1080p. The viewing angle is excellent, the blacks are very black, and the brights are very bright. There is no banding, blooming, distortion, or pixallated edges. Samsung makes a high quality product that is frequently better than many of the higher priced products from their competitors.
I’ve seen a few reviewers complaining about a few things, here is my input on their issues as someone who is not only an A/V enthusiast for over 20 years, but also an IT technician:
Check for firmware updates, my S@NY BDP-350 Blu-Ray player (purchased in Dec) has had 3 Firmware updates for it so far. One of them solved an HDMI issue.
As with anything else in this world, it is possible to get a bad unit & this is true of ALL manufacturers (even S@NY). Electronics today are all produced by the lowest bidder. You can buy a TV today, and 3 months later I can buy the exact same model, and if we compare the internal parts, there will be differences… whatever chips were cheapest when they placed the parts order are what go into your set, and it is assembled in a factory by human beings being paid peanuts.
Picture quality: The source makes a huge difference. I switched from Cablevision to FiOs & the difference in picture quality is stunning (on both the standard & HD channels). I have not run satellite, so cannot comment on the quality of that source.
Audio quality: For the life of me, I can’t determine why someone would be using the internal speakers on this TV. Why you would have an almost 40″ TV and not run it through an audio system is beyond me…
Picture blacking out: This has A LOT to do with the HDMI outputs on the cheaply made set-top boxes that are used to receive Satellite/Cable/FiOs. They ALL have HDMI issues, and the issues will cause problems whether the box is turned on or off. Complain to you service provider, not Samsung. If you want to test this, unplug the HDMI running from your box to the TV & run component video at 720p instead (there will not be a discernable difference in picture quality on a TV of this size when running broadcast content). Then power off both the box & TV, and UNPLUG THEM FROM THE WALL as well, as todays equipment will never truly ‘power off’ (or else your remote couldn’t turn it on). Wait 2-3 minutes, then plug the power back in. If your issues go away, then you can be 100% sure it is the set-top box & not your TV causing your woes.
AnyNet+ issues: These are software issues, and HDMI issues. Most likely, the culprit is one of your other devices and not the TV. Check for firmware.
My own review
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Samsung 37″ LCD is great. Colors are excellent and sharp. The only complaint I have is the skimpy sound system. Everything sounded “echo-y” and tinny: I had to add a sound system. Now it’s great and I wouldn’t trade the Samsung TV with any other one.
Great, but don’t expect perfection
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
I recently bought a new Samsung 37in TV from Amazon. Make no mistake: this is a great product. But don’t expect it to work like the sets on display in the Big Box stores. The reason is that the stores often have their own company made videos on display. They almost invariably emphasize jarring action shots, bright colors against white or blue backgrounds, and often have panoramic views of vast landscapes or colorful flowers. As one of the Big Box clerks told me: you will get this same picture at home if you play a Blue Ray disc on a quality Blue Ray DVD with a jacked up 120MHz version of your TV set. But, heh, most of us by a telly set to watch cable tv.
As for Amazon’s promise that they will set up your set and carry away the debris, that is legit. Two men carefully unpacked the set and had it up and running in about seven minutes. But language was a problem, since one person could speak no english and the other was only marignally better. They also neglected to tell me that I had to use both remotes (one for the TV, the other for the cable box) to control the set, something that caused me great anxiety until I figured it out. Incidentally, it is possible to use only one remote, if you hook up the cable directly into the new TV, or if you turn in your Standard Definition cable box for a new HD cable box. And while they offered to carry away the rubbish, they told me I should keep the box and the packing materials in case I had to return the set. Fair enough, this was a sensible suggestion.
As for the set itself, it is great. In almost every respect it performs as outlined in the reviews of this product. On HD channels, it offers wonderful color,sharp contrasts, and an almost three dimensional experience. As for the sound, it is, as most reviewers have pointed out, god awful. It sounds “tinny” and lacking substance, and almost certainly I will have to improve it by a sound bar or modestly priced home theatre sound system. One of the great features is the remote, which is user friendly, and one of its best function is the picture-size button. One of the flaws of most HDTVs is that when they show a Standard Definition program on cable, the people and items depicted appear “squat,” with people looking like fireplugs and Volkswagens looking like stretch limosines. But you can immediately get rid of this phenomena by changing from the usual 16:9 ratio to either a Zoom 1 or 4:3 ratio. (Sounds complicated, but is easy to learn and do in reality).
So, in general, it is a pleasant and easy experience dealing with Amazon, which delivers on on its promises. And the Samsung 37in 1080 HDTV is an excellent product, but just accept that you are unlikely to see the same quality of picture that are on the specially designed videos on display at the Big Box stores. But having said that, these new HDTVs are a modern marvel.
Refurbished Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Electrozone Service:
Pros: Television was packaged with tons of foam. No dead pixels. Excellent customer service and communication. CHEAP PRICE!
Cons:The shipping was delayed but Electrozone was able to compensate for it. Scuffs and scratches along the border of the t.v. Biggest issue was the “FIXED” writing that was etched permanently along the border of the television due to being a refurbished product( Luckily, Can only be seen at a glared angle and not a big enough issue to return but still COME ON GUYS please don’t scratch up the refurbished televisions with “Fixed” writing, common sense).
Television itself:
Pros: Amazing 1080p picture. Best remote control, ever. Tons of extra settings and features.
Cons:Can get a bit too bright from time to time but nothing major. As expected, the sound it bad but replacement speakers or a sound system fix the problem.
My purchase of the Samsung 37-inch television
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this Samsung television through Amazon simply because every purchase made through them, small OR large, is not only easy but I have full confidence that the order will be handled correctly! It is sort-of a “one-stop-does-it” situation and I would HIGHLY recommend this method of purchase to EVERYone!! The television was shipped directly to our daughter in Colorado and although I never saw it, our daughter is VERY happy with it. We have two Samsung televisions ourselves and find them perfect in every way. So “happy shopping” through Amazon!!
Nancy Thurman
Good for an LCD, but still prefer PLASMA
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bought this top rated LCD for the bedroom – very nice. LCD is the way to go if you want light weight, cool running television for a bright, sunlit room. OTHERWISE, I would still stick with the plasma technology.
We have an older Pioneer plasma (720p resolution) in the living room – this Samsung LCD can’t touch the Pioneer plasma when it comes to picture quality. The plasma provides much more realistic “film” type picture. The real difference is in flesh tones and blacks (such as a man’s black suit on a show like David Letterman, etc).
I know the LCD’s look so much better when you see them in a huge, brightly lit store like Best Buy, but in real life there is no question that plasma provides the better, truer picture.
The VERY NEW and EXPENSIVE technology of LED seems to have the benefits of the LCD with the picture quality of a plasma….but it’s pretty pricey right now. But just wait a few years, and the prices will come down.
Also, don’t get hung up on the 1080p resolution – the human eye can only detect so much. A 720p resolution will look just as good as a 1080p (unless you stick your nose a few inches from the screen…which nobody does.) Sitting back in your easy chair, they’re just the same.
We really do like this TV, especially the clean look when it is turned off. However for our next TV purchase (far in the future….) we will look to the new LED technology, or stick with Plasma.
FLAT SCREEN TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Samsung LN40A550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
GREAT TV AND GREAT SERVICE……FIRST ONE ARRIVED DAMAGED….ONE EMAIL AND WAAALAAA……NEW ONE ARRIVED ON MY DOORSTEP WITHIN 10 DAYS…..THAT`S WHAT I CALL GREAT SERVICE…..AFTER THE SALE !!!
YOU CAN TRUST AMAZON.COM !!
BE WELL, DO GREAT WORK AND KEEP IN TOUCH,
FLYBOY STINSON
great product, wonderful service
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We got our first flat screen, HD compatible tv in this Samsung model. Great picture quality, sound very nice with adjustment and easy to hook up to our components.It took longer for us to “relearn” the remote for our “dish” than to use the tv.lol.Overall great value for the price.
Great TV for the price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have been very pleased with this TV since purchasing it. Initially my order had been for a Sony Bravia, which was delayed 3 months from the date I first placed the order. Pretty unbelievable!! To the credit of Amazon, they provided me with a steep discount and express delivery for this Samsung TV, which I feel mostly made up for the blunder with the previous Sony TV. For this Samsung TV, the picture and clarity are impressive. It was easy to hook up within minutes. It is very light weight, which will make it easy to transfer from my bedroom to the patio for sporting events, etc. Overall, I have been pleasantly surprised and pleased with the service and product quality of this TV sold by Amazon inc.
Great TV!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got this TV about 6 months ago and still love it. My only gripe is that the speakers could be a lot better. My 20 inch $200 box TV from Toshiba had far better speakers. In retrospect, I would still DEFINITELY get this TV again, I would just recommend getting some speakers to go with the outstanding picture.
Great picture, horrible sound
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I wanted a midsize HDTV for my bedroom. This tv fit the bill size wise and price wise. The picture is beautiful but the sound was like an AM radio, very tinny with little bass. I tried adjusting the sound manually and had no success so I called Samsung and they did send a repair person to exchange the speakers at no cost to me. The sound quality was a tiny bit better but I still couldn’t stand it. Samsung advised me that most people have a home entertainment system and therefore don’t use the tv’s speakers but that did little to help me, I didn’t want to have a bulky sound system in my bedroom. Finally I found a solution at Target where I purchased a speaker bar that had a built in sub-woofer and IPOD dock. It only cost $100 so it didn’t break the bank and made the tv sound a million times better and didn’t take up much room. It’s a shame that Samsung can’t put the same amount of effort they do for the picture quality into the sound quality. So, if you already have a home theater system to connect this to you are golden, if not, get a different tv or plan on buying new speakers if sound is a priority to you.
Overall, an above-average HDTV
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
My wife and I spent a lot of time checking out reviews on the web, as well as viewing many different models & makes of HDTV’s before finally deciding on the Samsunt LN37A550. Right from first view my wife fell in love with the picture: to her it just seemed brighter and clearer than all the rest. After much comparison to the competition I would have to say I agree with her. The picture is very bright and clear.
As far as 1080p vs. 720p some are of the opinion that you can’t tell the difference with this screen size. I personally COULD tell the difference: even if it is primarily at close range. Well, every little bit helps so 1080p was the way to go for me, but is Samsung really any better than the rest?
Perhaps not better than some, exactly, but it had the right combination of picture quality, features, and price that seemed to set it apart. I initially bought a Sony (can I mention other brands?) M-series because I was able to get over $450 dollars off the store’s regular price. Not a bad deal by any stretch of the imagination, but when I got it home I hated it and had to return it. Its SD performance was execrable, there was just no other word for it (all right, maybe “wretched” could be used as well): Very noisy and highly posterized (a slight level of these attributes was even visible from some HD sources). Of course, many reviews say that ALL HDTVs have poor SD quality, but the Samsung is actually very good in this respect. And since my cable company’s HD offerings are a bit light right now, this was important to me. Of course, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, and there is no mistaking SD for HD, but it is still eminently watchable on the Samsung.
A couple of other pros that I appreciate on this unit are: loads of picture setting options (but to me the picture is great even right out of the box), a USB input for viewing pics from my digital camera and/or listening to mp3s (but why would you want to with that lousy sound? – more on this in a moment), and 3 (count-em) HDMI ports, one conveniently side-mounted for easy access, which in concert with the swivel base makes quick work of plugging in my HD camcorder.
So have we stumbled upon HDTV Nirvana here? Not exactly. As many have pointed out, the sound quality is somewhat sub-par, and even serious tweaking of the equalizer settings can’t improve it to any great degree when using the built-in speakers. Not a deal-breaker for me, I could always listen through a stereo if I want to. A nitpicky little annoyance is the glossy base, which attracts (and shows) dust like nobody’s business: we’ll live with it. The important stuff is well-implemented as far as I am concerned. Unless you have a very low tolerance for anything less than super-high fidelity sound, I can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed with this unit.
DO NOT BUY-Bad Quality, 3 fixes still no good. Horrible Customer Service.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this TV August 2008 and started to have screen blackout issues within 6 months. Customer service came 2-3 times and basically swapped out the power supply, mother board and the LCD panel itself. Only thing didn’t change was the plastic cover and stand. The fix worked for a couple of months now, but a few days ago, the TV completely went dark.
I called customer service and got involved with the executive service team. I was informed initially that I will get a new TV, and waited 48 hours with no further response from Samsung. I called back, they not only questioned the legitimacy of my forwarded Amazon receipt, but also wanted to further repair the TV instead of sending me a new one.
Samsung customer service can not send out emails, doesn’t want to maintain one-to-one service contact throughout this process and certainly don’t try hard to solve problems for customers who had already went through so much trouble for a TV. For the 4th time in a row in a few months, I am WITHOUT a TV.
Samsung’s product has issues, period. Don’t give yourself the chance to have a BAD product and dealing with aggregation.
DO NOT BUY SAMSUNG PRODUCT, DUE TO BAD TECHNOLOGY AND BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE PROCESS.
happy with new TV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We really like our new HD TV. The picture is great and the screen size is just right for our small family room. We bought it for a very good (discounted) price from Amazon Warehouse. The box was missing 2 small parts- a the ferrite core and the screen cloth. We wrote to Amazon customer service and received a prompt reply. They were unable to send the missing parts, but offered a further discount on the price. We were very satisfied with the service and continue to use Amazon for a variety of purchases.
great design, great function, great documentation
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Samsung LN37A550 was my first flat screen TV, and I do not use it as the center of a vast, complicated web of interlinked entertainment devices, but I am capable with various computer applications and technologies, including digital photography. I have had the TV for nine months and it has delighted me in every respect. I paced the aisles at stores comparing screens and concluded that the Samsung displays deserve their high recommendations. I still believe that.
One of the features that seemed like a big plus before I made the purchase was the TV’s User Guide. I downloaded it, studied it, and asked myself: “Does this manual contain clear, well-written explanations of ALL of the TV’s features and functions? Does it have enough diagrams and illustrations that I am unlikely to have to call customer service, or give up on finding an answer or fixing a problem?” In some ways, the manual sold the TV. Not only did it tell me a great deal about the TV’s features and operation, but it reassured me that I would be able to get the most out of it. I compared it with manuals for equivalent models from other manufacturers and, in my view, the Samsung manual was the best written and organized.
Thanks to the manual, as soon as I got the TV, I had no trouble exploring the device and setting up everything to suit my tastes. The onscreen menus, while necessarily somewhat complex given the level of control Samsung gives the user, are set up well and it doesn’t take long before the user can navigate them easily.
But in the end, a TV is all about the picture. Every time I watch something, whether TV or DVD, it’s great. For anyone using over-the-air signals, the TV gets the most out of the digital conversion. One of the remote’s buttons makes it easy to toggle between picture formats/sizes, allowing the user to get the most out the screen area.
I have no comments on the speakers’ sound quality because I always listen with wireless headphones (a great way for an apartment dweller to get great sound quality and never, ever disturb a neighbor).